Athletic head-harness.



PATENTED AUG. 13,1907.

.G. L. PIERCE. ATHLETIC HEAD HARNESS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14.1907.

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ATHLETIC HEAD-HARNESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Aug. 13, 1907.

Application filed May 14:, 1907. Serial No. 373,693.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. PIERCE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Athletic Head- I-Iarness, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a head guard or protector for use by players of football or in any other connection wherever applicable.

In the drawings which show one of the specific forms which my improvements may take, Figure l is a perspective view of a head harness within my invention; Fig. 2 is a section through one of the ear-protectors; Fig. 3 is the same with wedge-pad inserted; and Fig. 4 is an elevation of an ear-protector and part of a head-band showing a different means for rigidly securing the earprotectors to the head-band; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view along line l 4 in Fig. 4.

Describing now my invention with special reference to the drawings, 1 is a head-band to encircle the head in analogous position to the band of a hat and is maintained in such position by a top piece or pieces 2 provided with large openings for ventilation at the front, rear and two sides and otherwise provided with smaller perforations 3 for the same purpose.

The head-band and top pieces are preferably made as ordinarily, of leather lined with felt or other padding and protecting material.

Adjustably supported on the head-band at the side openings in the harness are ear-protecting pieces or tabs 4. These ear-protectors as their name indicates, cover and protect the ears when the harness is in place on the head and are provided with car openings 5, through which the wearer can hear when the harness is in place.

Connecting the ear-protectors beneath the chin of the wearer and for this purpose passing through suitable openings 6 in said protectors, is a strip of fabric 7, the free ends of which are in turn perforated to be bound together by a lace or cord 8 through said perforations.

As indicated above, the ear protectors 4 are adjustable along the head-band. This makes it possible for a given harness to fit any wearer, even to the extent of fully protecting abnormally located ears, whether unusually far forward or unusually far back on the head. Moreover this feature permits adjustment of said protectors not only into the position where they will give maximum protection but also (and this is an equally important feature) into that position in which the ear openings in the protectors will be directly over the auditory-openings and the wearer consequently can best hear.

The adjustable ear-protectors shown in the drawings and having the above features, comprise a pad portion 9 with an ear opening 5 and with said pad supported from the head-band by a loop 10. This loop consists preferably of a piece of leather folded over the headband and secured to the pad 9 of the ear-protector. Said loop is preferably made comparatively long between its ends, first to give it greater strength, and second to give it greater frictional contact with the head-band to prevent it from slipping too freely thereon.

To secure the ear protectors immovable in the final position of adjustment best suited to the particular wearer, I provide what may be called wedge-pads l1, insertible one under each loop of the ear-protector next the outside of the head-band. These wedge-pads may consist of any suitable material of suilicient bulk to make the loop of the ear-protector grip the head-band immovably against accidental displacement, when said wedge-pads have been inserted as described. Preferably these pads will consist of elongated strips of leather sewed or otherwise secured to felt or other bulky, soft material.

In addition to serving the function of holding the earprotectors immovable against unintentional displacement, these pad-s also act to further protect the sides of the wearers head against injury.

As another means of securing the ear protectors immovable in the required position of adjustment, I have shown in Fig. 4 a series of holes 12 through the headband in the side portions thereof above the ears and other holes 14 in the loops 10 of the ear protectors. The holes 14 in each ear-protector are so located that they register or correspond with the holes in the head-band when the protector is moved into various positions of adjustment on the head-band.

A lace or waxed-end 15 is provided for each ear-pro tector to be tied through the holes 14: therein and through the corresponding holes in the head-band, when said protectors have been adjusted into their proper positions.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination with an athletic head-harness. earprotectors supported thereon to be non-detachable, but at the same time adjustable by movement in planes parallel with the sides of the head of the wearer; and a chin-strap connecting said earprotectors.

2. In an athletic head-harness, the combination of a head-band ear-protectors slidable along said band but nondelachable rhereot'rom; and a chin-strap connecting said ear-protectors.

:1. In combination with an athletic head-harness, earprotectors non-detacliahly supported thereby and movable horizontally thereon; means adapted to secure the earprotectors in various positions of horizontal adjustment on said harness; and a chin-strap connecting the ear-protectors.

4. In combination, a head-band; an ear-protector provided with an canopening and supported to be adjustable along said band by a loop surrounding it.

5. In combination, a head-band; an ear-protector movably supported by a loop about said bind; and a pad adapted to be wedged between said loop and band.

6. In combination, a head-band; a pair 01' ear-protectors each movably supported by a loop about said band; 1

and a chin strap connecting saidear-protectors.

In witness whereof, I have signed my name to the foregoing specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE L. PIERCE.

Witnesses:

H. R. BAUER, .Tos. F. OBRIEN. 

